Fence-post



(No Model.)

A. G. POWELL.

FENCE POST. No. 246,636. Patented Sept. 6,1881.

, l-VlT/VESSES: [NVE/VTOR N4 PETERS. Phnto-Lidhognpher. \Vishinghll, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAM G. POWELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,636, dated September 6, 1881.

Application filed January 21, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABRAMI G. PoWELL, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city of Philadelphia, and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvaniafhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence- Posts, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l isa perspective of a fence-post with bed-plate embodying part of my improvements. Figs. 2 and. 3 are respectively front and reverse perspectives of the fence-post shield or stay; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of part of a fence-post, illustrating that part of myinvent-ion which relates to the means for fastening the wires to the post.

My invention has relation to that class of fences in which the post consists of an upright iron bar, the panels being composed of strands or lengths of iron wire provided with barbs.

My invention has for its object, first, to'provide means whereby the post will be stayedment of the keepers'applied to afence-post for. the purpose of receiving and retaining the wlres.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Aindicates a metal post, consisting of a fiat iron bar having its lower end twisted.

Brepresents a flat metal plate provided with a staple or keeper, 1), having a notch, b, in its lower edge, inline with the staple b. The opposite sides of the notch are bent over-to form wings or guides 11 W. The post being first driven into the ground the required depth, the plate B is slid down upon it, the keeper b encircling the post, the edge of the latter fitting between the wings b b The plate B is now driveninto The post A is formed with openings aa,in the form of vertical slots. The outer wall of these slots may be cut obliquely, as shown in Fig. 1, the severed portions being bent in contrary directions, so as to form two tongues or projections, a a each of which isof the samelength as the slot at, the cut extending from the top of the latter to the bottom. This cut may be effected by the means plainly shown in Fig. 2, a bar or wedge being first inserted in the opening a, a chisel, as, being then employed to efl'ect the out and the separation of the tongues.

To insert the wire shown at c in the openings a, said wire is first bent and then passed between the tongues a (F. It is then strained until it becomes straight, as shown at c. When so strained or straightened it cannot be displaced from the openings to by lateral movement in a horizontal plane unless bent in the same manner as was necessitated for its inser tion, the tongues a a constituting keepers. This method of constructing the openings for the reception of the wire makes the post a barbed one, the tongues or projections to a forming barbs in addition to the barbs o of the wire.

.To avoid weakening the post by cutting through the openings at, as just described, and at the same time to obtain like results with relation to the maintenance of the wire in position on the post, I may leave the openings 0 uncut and secure therein keepers D, of the peculiar construction in Fig. 4. Said keepers consist each of a wrought-iron metallic plate having hooked or notched ends at (1. Such plates, after beinginserted in the openings a, are bent into a U form. This brings the hooked ends opposite to each other, one book pointing upwardly and the other downwardly, the notches d registering, so as to form an opening or passage, d into which the wire is inserted, the insertion being effected in the same manner as that required for the construction first described. The result, it will be noted, is the same in both cases, the wire requiring in each to be first bent, and after insertion and straightening beingprotected from lateral displacement by two tongues orprojections, one of which points upwardly and the other downwardly, each tongue being of the same length as the opening that receives the wire.

In lieu of the notch b, I may use as an equivalent a second staple or keeper, in line with the staple or keeper 1), which will serve as a guide for theplate when beingdriven into the ground.

The construction of post above plate B, as shown in Fig. l and describedin detail, is suggestive of the manner of using said post to receive and retain the wires; but I do not claim such construction as my invention.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. A fence-post shield consisting of a plate, B, with keeper b and notch or guide 11, the lattcr being open at the edge of the plate and having its sides bent to form lips b, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with flat or angular 25 fence-post A, of a stay or brace consisting of the metallic plate B, provided with keeper 1), substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with the post A, having slot or opening a, of the keepers D, consist- 0 in g of plates inserted in said slots and having their ends bent and notched for the reception and retention of the wire, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 5 have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of January, 1881.

ABRAM G. POWELL.

\Vitnesses S. J. VAN STAVOREN, CHAS. F. VAN HORN. 

